Home / Exercises / Barbell Wrist Reverse Curl (VERSION 2)
Barbell Wrist Reverse Curl (VERSION 2) animation

How to do the Barbell Wrist Reverse Curl (VERSION 2)

ForearmsBarbellIntermediate

The barbell wrist reverse curl is one of the most direct and effective ways to build the extensor muscles along the back of your forearms, a region most lifters chronically neglect. Consistent work here creates balanced grip strength, healthier elbows, and forearms that look as strong as they perform.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Forearms
Secondary
Grip

Step-by-step

  1. Sit at the edge of a bench and rest your forearms on your thighs with the barbell held in an overhand grip, wrists just past your knees.
  2. Let the barbell lower your wrists toward the floor under control, achieving a full stretch in the extensors.
  3. Drive your wrists upward by contracting the forearm extensors, raising the back of your hands as high as possible.
  4. Lower with a slow, deliberate tempo back to the stretched position before initiating the next rep.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the elbows lift off the thighs during the movement, which shifts load away from the forearms — keep your forearms pinned flat throughout the entire set.
  • Using a grip width that is too wide, which reduces range of motion and stresses the wrists unevenly — keep hands just inside shoulder width.
  • Rushing through reps with momentum instead of muscle, which kills stimulus and risks wrist strain — use a lighter load and aim for a full two-second lowering phase.

Pro tip — At the top of each rep, pause for one full second with your wrists fully extended and actively squeeze the extensors hard before lowering — this brief isometric contraction dramatically increases time under tension in the most shortened position where most lifters simply coast through.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps

Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.

More Forearms exercises

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